Cooling assembly, method of controlling the temperature of interior of precursor source vessel, and reactor system
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- TW · TW
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- ASM IP HLDG BV
- Filing Date
- 2020-07-30
- Publication Date
- 2026-08-01
AI Technical Summary
Existing precursor source delivery systems face challenges in maintaining steady temperature control during operation, leading to potential overheating and compromising the integrity of the processing vessel, and require lengthy cooling times for maintenance, which affects the accessibility and efficiency of the reactor system.
A cooling assembly comprising a heating element and a cooling device, such as a cooling plate, is used to maintain a temperature gradient within the precursor source container, allowing continuous heating while rapidly reducing temperature for maintenance by controlling fluid flow and temperature through serpentine cooling lines.
The assembly enables rapid temperature control and cooling of the precursor source container, preventing overheating and facilitating quick maintenance, while maintaining a uniform temperature profile to prevent precursor degradation and condensation.
Smart Images
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Abstract
Description
[Technical Field] This disclosure generally relates to an apparatus for cooling a heater and its method of use, the heater being used in a precursor source container in a reactor system. [Previous Technology] A gas-phase reactor system may include a solid or liquid precursor source delivery system to deliver gaseous reactants to the reaction chamber. A typical solid or liquid precursor source delivery system includes a solid or liquid precursor source container and a heating element. The heating element may include one or more heaters for heating the interior of the container to the desired operating temperature. During operation, the heating element typically stops circulating for a period of time to maintain a steady-state temperature and prevent the container from overheating. This work cycle (especially the shutdown of the heating element) can impair the performance of temperature control within the processing container, which in turn can compromise the integrity of the precursor material. Therefore, an improved device for controlling the container temperature is desired. Solid precursor source containers are typically operated at high temperatures (e.g., approximately 110°C to 210°C). Therefore, it is desirable to cool the containers to a safe temperature for maintenance activities (such as container cleaning and chemical refilling). In typical solid or liquid precursor source delivery systems, cooling times can be undesirably long. Therefore, improved equipment for faster cooling of precursor source delivery systems is needed. Any problems and solutions discussed in this section are included in this invention for the purpose of providing background information and should not be construed as an admission of any or all of the discussions known at the time of completion of this invention. [Summary of the Invention] The exemplary embodiments disclosed herein provide methods and apparatus suitable for use in conjunction with or within a reactor system for cooling a precursor source container. While the various embodiments of this disclosure address the shortcomings of prior methods and systems in more detail below, generally, the various embodiments of this disclosure provide apparatus and methods that can be used to cool a precursor source container and its components (e.g., a heater), and to reduce the temperature of a precursor source container to make maintenance of the precursor source container and / or a reactor system including the precursor source container more rapid and accessible. In various embodiments disclosed herein, an assembly includes a precursor source container; a heating element in thermal communication with the precursor source container; and a cooling device in thermal contact with the heating element, wherein the heating element heats the interior of one of the precursor source containers, and wherein the cooling device removes heat from the heating element. The heating element may include a heating plate that contacts the precursor source container. The heating plate may be in thermal contact with a cooling device, which may be a cooling plate. The cooling plate may be made of one or more of aluminum, stainless steel, nickel, and Hastelloy. The cooling plate includes a top side and a bottom side. The top side may contact the heating plate. The bottom side may have thermal contact with a cooling element (such as one or more cooling lines) configured to contain a fluid. The fluid may be, for example, air, water, cooling water, or ethylene glycol. One or more cooling lines may be attached to or embedded in the bottom side of the cooling plate. The one or more cooling lines may be made of stainless steel, aluminum, nickel, and Hastelloy. The cooling lines may further include a valve configured to control a flow rate of the fluid through one or more cooling lines, which in turn controls the cooling function of the cooling plate. The cooling lines may include a serpentine path, concentrated (e.g., having a greater number of segments) near a central portion of the cooling plate. The assembly may further include a control system configured to control one or more of the flow rate and temperature of the fluid. The control system may communicate with one or more sensors configured to detect an operating temperature of one or more of the heating element, cooling equipment, and container. In various embodiments disclosed herein, a method for controlling the temperature inside one of a precursor source containers includes heating the precursor source container using a heating element and cooling the heating element using a cooling device. The interior can be heated to a desired temperature (e.g., greater than the sublimation temperature of a precursor and less than its decomposition temperature). The temperature range can be, for example, between 90°C and 250°C, or between 110°C and 210°C. The heating element can continuously provide heat to maintain the desired temperature; that is, power can be continuously supplied to the heating element (e.g., via a controller) for a period of time (e.g., during one or more substrate processes in a reaction chamber). A temperature of the heating element and / or the cooling device can be manipulated to create a temperature gradient within the interior from a first temperature at the bottom end of one of the precursor source containers to a second temperature near the top end of one of the precursor source containers, wherein the first temperature is less than the second temperature. For other applications, the heating element can be turned off, allowing the cooling device to draw residual heat from the heating element, thereby rapidly reducing the temperature inside the precursor source container. Prior to this disclosure, the pressure within the precursor source container may be between approximately vacuum pressure and 760 Torr, between approximately 5 Torr and 50 Torr, between approximately 3 Torr and 350 Torr, between approximately 50 Torr and 250 Torr, or between approximately 100 Torr and 2000 Torr. In various embodiments disclosed herein, a reactor system includes an assembly comprising a precursor source container; a heating element in thermal communication with the precursor source container; and a cooling device in thermal contact with the heating element, wherein the heating element heats the interior of one of the precursor source containers, and wherein the cooling device removes heat from the heating element. A temperature gradient may be formed within the interior by a first temperature at the bottom end of one of the precursor source containers and a second temperature near the top end of the precursor source container, wherein the first temperature may be lower than the second temperature. Those skilled in the art will readily understand these and other embodiments from the following detailed description of some embodiments already described with reference to the accompanying drawings; the invention is not limited to any of the specific embodiments disclosed.
Implementation Method
Claims
1. A cooling assembly, comprising: A precursor source container; a heating plate in thermal contact with the precursor source container, wherein the heating plate includes a heating plate top and a heating plate bottom, wherein the heating plate is disposed around one of the precursor source containers; and a cooling plate in thermal contact with the heating plate, wherein the cooling plate includes a top side and a bottom side, and the bottom of the heating plate is disposed on the top side of the cooling plate, wherein the heating plate heats the interior of one of the precursor source containers, and wherein the cooling plate removes heat from the heating plate so that the heating plate does not need to stop heating.
2. The cooling assembly of claim 1, wherein the cooling plate is configured to maintain the heating plate within about 5°C of one of the operating temperatures of the heating plate.
3. The cooling assembly of claim 2, wherein the top side is in thermal contact with the heating plate and wherein the bottom side is in thermal contact with one or more cooling lines.
4. The cooling assembly of claim 3 further includes a valve configured to control the flow rate of one of the fluids through one or more cooling lines.
5. The cooling assembly of claim 4, wherein the flow system is selected from at least one of the following: air, water, or ethylene glycol.
6. The cooling assembly of claim 5, wherein the one or more cooling lines comprise at least one of the following: aluminum, stainless steel, nickel, or Hastelloy.
7. The cooling assembly of claim 6, wherein the cooling plate comprises at least one of the following: aluminum, stainless steel, nickel, or Hastelloy.
8. The cooling assembly of claim 5 further includes a control system configured to control one or more of the flow rate of the fluid and the temperature of the fluid.
9. The cooling assembly of claim 8, wherein the control system communicates with one or more sensors configured to detect the operating temperature of the heating plate.
10. The cooling assembly of claim 9, wherein the cooling lines include a serpentine path that is concentrated near a central portion of the cooling plate.
11. A method for controlling the temperature inside one of a precursor source containers, comprising heating the precursor source container using a heating plate; and cooling the heating plate using a cooling plate, wherein the heating plate includes a heating plate top and a heating plate bottom, wherein the heating plate is disposed around one of the precursor source containers, wherein the cooling plate includes a top side and a bottom side, and the bottom of the heating plate is disposed on the top side of the cooling plate and in thermal contact with the cooling plate, wherein the heating plate heats the interior of one of the precursor source containers, and wherein the cooling plate removes heat from the heating plate such that the heating plate does not need to stop heating.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein the interior is heated to a desired temperature greater than the sublimation temperature of a precursor and less than the decomposition temperature of the precursor.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein the desired temperature is between approximately 90°C and 250°C.
14. The method of claim 12, wherein the heating plate continuously provides heat during a substrate manufacturing process to maintain the desired temperature.
15. The method of claim 11, wherein one of the pressures within the precursor source container is between a vacuum pressure and about 760 torts.
16. The method of claim 11, wherein the top side is in thermal contact with the heating plate, and one or more cooling lines are attached to a periphery of the bottom side of the cooling plate.
17. The method of claim 16, wherein the one or more cooling pipelines are configured to contain water, and wherein at least one of the flow rate of the water and the temperature of the water is available to operate the cooling function of the cooling plate.
18. The method of claim 11, wherein a temperature gradient is formed within the interior by a first temperature at the bottom end of one of the precursor source containers and a second temperature near the top end of one of the precursor source containers, wherein the first temperature is lower than the second temperature.
19. The method of claim 11, wherein the heating plate is turned off and the cooling plate draws residual heat from the heating plate to rapidly reduce the temperature inside the precursor source container.
20. A reactor system including a cooling assembly, comprising: A reactor; a precursor source container; a heating plate in thermal contact with the precursor source container, wherein the heating plate includes a heating plate top and a heating plate bottom, and wherein the heating plate is disposed around one of the precursor source containers; and a cooling plate in thermal contact with the heating plate, wherein the cooling plate includes a top side and a bottom side, and the bottom of the heating plate is disposed on the top side of the cooling plate, wherein the heating plate heats the interior of one of the precursor source containers, and wherein the cooling plate removes heat from the heating plate so that the heating plate does not need to stop heating, wherein a temperature gradient is formed within the interior by a first temperature at the bottom end of one of the precursor source containers and a second temperature near the top end of one of the precursor source containers, wherein the first temperature is lower than the second temperature.